Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, frequently between cell phones. It is a current trend among teens. According to a 2008 survey commissioned by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 22% of teenage girls and 18% of teenage boys have taken nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and sent them to someone or posted them online.

Consequences of Sexting

Those who “sext” (send sexually explicit messages or photos) often do not realize the severity of sexting-related consequences, which may include anything from humiliation to criminal charges. One of the most basic concerns is that the pictures can be forwarded and re-forwarded with the push of a button to anyone with a cell phone or email address. A “sext” can be easily uploaded to any website, including personal pages or social networking sites such as MySpace or Facebook.

Teens, as well as adults, who engage in sexting can be subject to a criminal felony charge for sending, receiving, or creating a photo involving someone under the age of 18 that looks sexually explicit or obscene. If convicted, they could become a Registered Sex Offender. A sex offender registration requirement will follow someone forever and will affect his or her ability to get into college or obtain certain jobs. The repercussions of sexting, including personal humiliation, have even led some teens to commit suicide.